In a makeshift camp classroom in northern Gaza, a local educator has launched daily yoga sessions for war‑traumatized children, offering rare moments of calm amid continuing air strikes and displacement.
A Tent School Turned Healing Space
Inside the tent, Palestinian educator Hadeel al‑Gharbawi leads groups of children through gentle stretches and breathing exercises on thin mats spread over the ground, turning a once-empty shelter into a rare space of safety and routine.
She says she searched online for new ways to support children after noticing that drawing and coloring alone were not enough to ease their fear and anxiety. Because formal classes were unavailable in Gaza, she trained herself in basic yoga techniques through the internet, then adapted them to the camp's harsh conditions, according to Aljazeera.
The classes come at a time when international agencies warn that nearly every child in Gaza now shows signs of severe psychological distress after more than two years of intense conflict, displacement, and loss.
A recent statement from UNICEF said all children in Gaza are in need of mental health and psychosocial support after repeated exposure to bombing, the death of relatives, and constant insecurity. The World Health Organization has also reported that cycles of violence are driving long‑term emotional problems, including grief, social withdrawal, and sleep difficulties among young people.
Brief Escape From Constant Fear
For the children who attend, the tent is more than a place to exercise. Displaced student Suwar explains that yoga and art sessions help her briefly forget the war, the winter cold, and the long waits to collect water, giving her a rare sense of safety and joy.
Other children describe feeling calmer and more in control after class, saying that closing their eyes and breathing slowly makes the noise of the conflict seem farther away, at least for a short time, Yahoo News reported.
Mental health experts say such modest initiatives can play a meaningful role in emergencies, especially when formal services are limited.
Research on yoga and mindfulness in war‑affected populations has shown benefits for stress, anxiety, depression, and post‑traumatic stress symptoms, particularly when activities are adapted to local culture and taught gently.
In Gaza, where schools, hospitals, and homes have been damaged or destroyed, community‑based psychosocial support like al‑Gharbawi's tent can be easier to sustain than clinical programs.
Alongside yoga, the space also offers informal lessons and creative workshops, helping children keep some link to education while displaced. Al‑Gharbawi says combining learning, play, and therapeutic movement gives children a sense of structure that war has taken away.
As bombardment and shortages continue, the sessions remain fragile and dependent on donations, yet for the children who attend, each class is a small act of healing and a reminder that peace is still possible, even if only for the length of a deep breath, as per New Arab.
